A Tale of Poes, Fire, and Luke?
by Rusty Bedsprings
Summary: After the Poe reading Lorelai finds herself talking to Luke in his apartment. A What if...Should have...kind of story.
1. Can we just watch Wings please?

**A little change to "A Tale of Poes and Fire". Total Javajunkie of course! Because I wouldn't write anything else.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own them. Wish I did. But don't.**

**  
Rating: T-for now. It is a little steamy but I figure they show this kind of stuff on network TV so T works just fine. It might, just might be upped to M later. That's only if you want me to get a little more "detail" oriented. Hehe…**

**Reason for writing this fic: Short haired, leather clad, sexy as can be Luke Danes.**

**Enjoy!**

**Rusty**

After the Poe reading Lorelai found herself talking to Luke outside the diner. She was about to leave and go home to Rory when he stopped her.

"You want some coffee?"

She turned to him confused and amused by the situation.

"Luke Danes, are you offering to supply me a painful liquid death?"

Luke shrugged his shoulders and shuffled his feet shyly.

"Yeah, I just thought…I don't know that we could talk for awhile. Guardian to parent kind of thing."

Lorelai realized what he wanted. Advice about what he should do with Jess. Luke was trying his hardest to get this kid through life in one piece and he sure as hell couldn't do it alone.

"Coffee sounds perfect."

He led her into the darkened diner and began to make a fresh pot as she sat down at a table by the window. She watched outside as the two Poes continued to argue and witnessed one of them throwing the stuffed Raven straight at the other's head. She chuckled quietly at the sight as Kirk stepped in to prevent any more from happening between the Poes. However, he soon got a Raven upside the head as well.

She was so engrossed in the town entertainment that she didn't even hear Luke sit next to her.

"What's going on?" He asked.

His voice startled her and she grabbed her heart in attempt to slow it down.

"Jeeze, you scared the crap out of me!"

"Sorry."

"We need to put a bell on your collar Lassie." She turned back to the window to see the Poes hugging and saying their apologies while Kirk continued to rub the newfound bump on his head.

"Looks like those two are getting along." Luke pointed at the Poes.

"Yeah, well, they have a lot in common. That helps."

Luke nodded.

"Here's your coffee." He slid the cup to her and she accepted it graciously. Taking a long audible sip, she moaned in pleasure.

"Perfect as usual."

They shared a brief smile before finding something else to look at. Avoiding the longing gaze.

"So, where's Nicole?" She asked looking around. Expecting her to pop out of a corner at any minute.

"She had to get back to New York tonight. She got a call from her clients and they wanted a meeting first thing in the morning."

"Are you mad?" She asked taking another sip and looking at him from above the rim.

"No. It's her job. The diner keeps me from staying there. The firm keeps her from staying here. That's life."

She saw a flash of disappointment in his eyes.

"Sounds like you wanted her to stay though. You must really like her." She set her mug down onto the table and leaned in on her elbows, awaiting his response.

"Yeah, I don't think it's going to work out though."

"Why?"

Luke shrugged and played with his hands.

"I just don't think we're right. She's very nice, and funny, and attractive, but I just feel like there's something missing. You know?"

Lorelai gave him an understanding look.

"Yeah, I know. That guy I went fishing with, Alex? He's very nice. And we get along just great but…I feel the same way. Something's just not there."

They looked down at the table and back into each other's eyes where they shared a long moment.

"Do you want to go upstairs and…I don't know, just talk for awhile?"

Lorelai nodded.

"Sure."

Luke led Lorelai through the curtain and up the flight of stairs to his apartment. When they walked inside Lorelai made her way to the couch, coffee mug in hand, and sat down on the far end. Luke joined her by sitting on the other side. A couch cushion separating them.

"Well, the old apartment hasn't changed much since I was last here." She looked around and looked at the picture of Luke's dad on the wall. She noticed how much he looked like him.

"Nah, nothing much to change."

Silence fell over the room for a few minutes as uncertainty and tension filled the air.

Lorelai tapped her foot.

Luke rubbed his hands together.

Luke broke the silence.

"I don't know what to do, Lorelai. I mean, do I walk him to class everyday? Do I check and make sure he's doing his homework? Do I beat him senselessly? What? What am I not doing?"

She realized he really was lost.

She scooted closer to him on the couch and took his hand.

"You can't do much except keep talking to him. Make him know that he has an obligation to go to school, and obligation to graduate, just let him know that he doesn't have a choice until that diploma is in his hands and he's returned that ugly looking robe."

Luke laughed and looked up at her. They smiled at one another for a few moments before their expressions became more serious. Each had a look of want and curiosity. They noticed eyes skimming over features, eyes focused on lips. And soon they were moving closer and closer, in slow motion, before their lips met in a soft, tender, and tentative kiss.

The kiss was short and when they both pulled away they each let out a heavy sigh.

They quickly went in for more.

The kiss became hungry, ravenous. They devoured each other. Teeth, tongue, hands, skin. Luke quickly removed Lorelai's leather jacket, hands skimming over her shoulders and arms before he pulled her into a full embrace. Lorelai followed his lead and began to pull his jacket off. Luke lowered his arms to free himself from the thick leather and when he succeeded he was rewarded by Lorelai's hands gliding over his chest and stomach. He moaned into the kiss as she lowered them down onto the couch and he felt her body press down upon his.

They became even more feverish as Lorelai broke away from the kiss to suck and nibble on his earlobe. Luke groaned in response and grasped her bottom as she did so. He felt the undeniable urge to feel her skin beneath his fingers. He reached for the hem of her shirt and waited for her response. When she lifted herself up so that she was straddling him, he took it as a yes. He pulled it up and over her head, tossing it on the floor. He took a second to look her over. She was sitting on him, clad in just a transparent, black lace bra. He brought a hand up to her collarbone and let it trace a line from her clavicles, between her breasts, across her stomach before landing on her hip. He brought the other hand to hold her hip as well and he pulled her two him. She smiled and leaned down to kiss him, letting her tongue meet his instantly.

As they continued to kiss, Luke maneuvered their bodies on the couch so she was lying on her back and he was above her. He kissed his way down from her lips, to her neck, to her collarbone, down to her breasts where he kissed the top of each, all the way to her belly button. Her moaning gave him courage and he began unbuttoning her pants. But as soon as he had begun to remove them he felt her jolt up to a sitting position.

"Rory!" Luke was perplexed by the sudden outburst, and calling of her daughter's name.

"What?"

"Rory…She's at home. She's waiting for me. I…I have to go."

She got up and grabbed her shirt quickly pulling it over her head.

"Lorelai…please…"

"I'm sorry. I should've been home a long time ago. She's probably worried. I don't have my cell on me…I have to get home."

She grabbed her leather coat, slipped it on, and pulled her hair away from the collar.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

And with that she was gone. And Luke was very confused as to what had just taken place only a few minutes ago.

When she opened the front door a frantic Rory greeted her.

"Where were you? You said you'd be right home! I was freaked out. Who knows what kind of guys those Poes are. Any one willing to dress in a ridiculous costume and read stories about psycho paths and death couldn't be too stable."

Lorelai took off her jacket and hung it on the coat rack.

"Chill. I was just at Luke's. I wasn't being taken advantage by a Tell-Tale Heart. So Simmah Down a-now."

Lorelai made her way to the kitchen where she pulled a beer out of the fridge and sat down at the kitchen table.

"Are you okay?" Rory asked sitting across from her silent mother.

"Yeah, why do you ask?"

"I don't know. You're drinking a beer, you seem a little out of it."

"I can't drink a beer without being okay?"

"No that's not what I meant. You just don't usually drink a beer by yourself unless you're upset." Rory explained giving her an uncertain look.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"So, something is the matter. Spill young lady. You have some splainin' to do."

Rory pointed a finger at her mother and awaited her response.

"Okay, but don't say anything to anyone. And don't interrupt me."

"Okay."

Lorelai took a deep breath and exhaled before she began.

"Jess, is skipping school. At least Luke thinks so. So, Luke is a little upset, and he asks me in for coffee. I can't refuse. Especially when he _asks_ if I want coffee. Because seriously how often does that happen?"

"Almost never."

"I said don't interrupt me!"

"Well you asked me a question."

"It was rhetorical."

"I didn't know that."

"Well, assume for the purposes of this conversation that every question I ask you is rhetorical. Capish?"

"Capish."

"Okay, so where was I? Coffee, right. So, he makes me some coffee and we sit and talk, and whatever. Then he asks me if I want to go upstairs and talk. I say yes and we go to his apartment. We sit down on the couch and resume conversation and he seems really upset about the whole Jess situation. So, I grab his hand, because, it's the only thing I could think of to comfort him. I tell him that he just needs to talk. To communicate with Jess the importance of school…etc. Then, it was just like in a movie or something. He moved in and I moved in…and…"

"And…"

"We kissed."

"YOU WHAT?"

"We kissed. Made out actually."

"You made out with Luke?"

"Yes."

"Our Luke? Burger and Coffee Luke? The town's designated Luke?"

"Yes! Okay? Yes! I made out with Luke and enjoyed the hell out of myself."

Rory shook her head and tried to wrap her brain around it.

"What about Alex? What about Nicole?"

"Things aren't going to work with Alex. I don't like him that much. I mean fishing for a second date? He might as well have taken me hunting for geese or pheasant or taught me how to shoot Bambi or something."

Rory agreed with her silently on that one.

"Okay, but what about Nicole? She was with Luke tonight at the reading."

"He told me there was something missing. That it wasn't what he wanted."

"Well, we all know what Luke wanted tonight."

"Hey!"

Rory held up her hands.

"What? I'm not the one who sucked face with the town diner owner tonight. That would be you missy."

"Thank god you didn't because that would be weird."

"And that's when we end this branch of the conversation. Road blocks have been established, please use another route to your destination."

"And our destination?"

"The end of this conversation and watching reruns of "Wings" while we eat enough Red Vines that we rot out our insides and have to ask relatives that we haven't ever met before to donate organs in order for us to live."

"Sounds great but let's make sure we have the mocking of early nineties clothing in there. Very important to the process my young grasshopper."

"Here, here."

Lorelai began to leave the room when she heard Rory's questioning voice.

"Hey…What's going to happen with you and Luke? Are you going to avoid him forever? Pretend it never happened? Date him? What are you going to do?"

"Sleep on it. Get back to me in the morning."

"Gotcha."

Rory found herself alone in the kitchen and smiling at the situation that had been created tonight.

"Come on kid. Tim Daly waits for no girl."

"Coming!"

With that she grabbed a can of soda from the fridge and bolted into the living room.

And in the middle of the night a tale of a fire reached the Gilmore home.

**To be continued…**

**Hope you like where I'm going so far. I just watched this episode today and I was thinking how great Luke looked. Part of me was like…Hmm…I bet Lorelai would've** **liked a piece of that. I should have the next chapter posted tomorrow night after the finale.**

**As always I appreciate reviews.**

**Random Quote for all you TV junkies:**

**Lisa****: They're not going to fire everyone. They'll probably just... hold us all to our contracts and change the format to Soft Rock of the Seventies until we get so sick of hearing "Afternoon Delight" that we kill ourselves and they hire new people to fill our positions.  
****Dave****: That imagination of yours is an absolute curse.  
****Lisa****: Yeah... my parents didn't let me watch television.**

"**NewsRadio"**


	2. I thought they put the fire out

**Thank you for the wonderful and encouraging reviews. You guys rock. I'm especially pleased to hear you girls out there were thinking the same thing about short haired, leather glad, want to lick the man from head to toe like a postage stamp, Luke Danes.**

**This chapter has some dialogue, which I borrowed from the original episode written by the brilliant, Daniel Palladino. I'm just using it for the purposes of this story. Please don't get mad. I give credit, where credit, is more than rightly due.**

**Bon Appetite! **

**Rusty**

"Breakfast, we have to make breakfast…" Lorelai told Sookie late that night, early that morning. Frankly, she wasn't sure about anything. She was currently just trying to come up with any means of altering this extreme situation they were all being put through.

As she paced in the cold night air, her arms pulling her jacket as close to her body as possible, she went through the lists in her head of all the proper procedures she had learned before receiving this job, about what to do in an emergency such as this.

The problem, besides the fact that her inn had caught fire, was that all she could think of was food and sleep.

When Sookie found Lorelai setting up station at Miss Patty's studio a half an hour later, she was still trying to frantically sort things out.

"Lorelai?" Sookie asked from the door of the studio.

"Just a second, Sook. Okay, so Michel the computers are on there way…What about the phones? Do we have phones coming?"

Michel, as usual was very annoyed.

"Yes, everything is coming, just trust me."

"This from the man, who ten minutes ago was trying to find another job? What kind of trust is that?"

"The same trust that I learned from the woman who told me two months ago that I was going to get a raise. And have yet to see such an increase in salary, since said mention of such raise."

"Just get everything up and working, okay?"

"Fine."

Just then two very familiar women entered the room.

"Hey, doll face. We just heard the news. We're here to help." Babette rasped shoving a fist toward her in a very take-charge manner.

"Oh, Lorelai this is just absolutely horrible. It reminds me of the time that Milton Berle…" Patty began but was quickly cut off by an impatient Lorelai.

"Babette, Miss Patty, thanks for your concern, and the inappropriateness of Milton Berle to cheer me up, but you really don't have to be here right now, we'll be just fine. You can go back home and go to bed."

Babette stepped up and protested.

"No way. We're going to do everything we can until you're on your feet and runnin' again like Marty Glickman in the 'Nazi' Olympics, sugah."

Lorelai smiled. She was truly touched by the town's devotion.

"Thank you."

"What can we do Lorelai?" Patty asked moving to stand by Michel and Babette.

"Well, when the computers get here Michel and Babette can figure out what to do with those…Miss Patty you're the designated receptionist. Here's when your acting skills come in handy."

"Oh, honey, I wont let you down." She assured grabbing her hand and patting it in a very comforting way.

"I know you wont. And thank you, the both of you. It really means a lot to me." Her voice dripped with sincerity.

"Anything for you sweetheart." Babette declared pulling Patty over to the table and chairs that were already set up.

As Lorelai turned to leave the studio, she was quickly stopped when someone grabbed her arm.

"Do not leave me alone with those two. They are beyond annoying. All they do is gossip. And ask stupid questions. Shitzus are more intelligent those women."

"That's why I left you with them. I figured you had a lot in common with them."

"I cannot promise you that there will not be any bloodshed today."

"I'm going to come back and check on you in twenty minutes. So, behave. And have fun!"

She smiled and sauntered out of the room.

Michel turned to Babette and Miss Patty who were whispering secretly while staring directly at him.

"Oh goody. This will just like a day at the circus. Stuck with two elephants." He mumbled to himself.

Meanwhile, Sookie and Lorelai had made their way outside and were talking about how they were going to make such a large breakfast, with no kitchen.

"I can't make that kind of food at my tiny little house!" Sookie explained pointing to the mounds of groceries on the sidewalk, while the kitchen staff milled around them.

"Can we cook half at mine, half at yours?" Lorelai suggested.

Sookie shook her head.

"Ah…no. See that just screws up the flow of the food and the flavor. We have to do it in one kitchen."

"Well, where is there a kitchen large enough in _this_ town to cook all _that_ food?"

Sookie smiled waiting for Lorelai to understand what she was insinuating. When she did, she instantly shook her head and waved her hands in disapproval.

"Oh, no. He won't go for that? He would freak out and you know it."

"Well, you and him are such good friends. And believe me Luke could never say no to you." Sookie attempted to reason.

Suddenly, the events that occurred last night went running through Lorelai's mind. Her, Luke, kissing, couch…She had been so occupied with the fire that she hadn't even given it a single thought.

And now, she understood, that asking him for this favor could be extremely awkward under the given circumstances.

Sookie's voice broke through her cloud of thought.

"C'mon Lorelai. We don't have any other choice. You know that, I know that, and I'm sure Luke would figure it out once you suggest it to him. Otherwise, we're really going to disappoint the Poe Society. And they're going to tell the Hemmingway Society, who will tell the Dickinson Society, and before you know it we're out of business, and holding up cardboard signs. Mine will say 'will cook for food' yours will say...something insanely dirty I'm sure. But…we just have to make this work. Besides, _you're_ the one that promised them the best breakfast of their lives."

"**FINE!** I'll ask him, but don't get mad at me if he throws us out on our rear ends!" Lorelai brushed a small piece of hair that fell from her ponytail, out of her eyes

"So, don't even ask him." Sookie stated shrugging her shoulders and smiling a wicked grin.

"What?" Lorelai cocked her head to the side in confusion.

"Just barge in there and take control. What is he going to do?"

"Throw us out on our rear ends?" She narrowed her eyebrows and stared at her friend intensely.

"There's too many of us. Besides he wouldn't throw out a pregnant woman. That's just bad taste." Sookie pulled the tie on her sweater as she drove her point home.

"You're right. Let's go." The two women stood up straight and began their short walk over to Luke's.

"C'mon guys. Grab those bags! We have a breakfast to make." Sookie exclaimed leading the way.

Luke was refilling a customer's cup when all of a sudden Sookie and a bunch of guys burst in with dozens of grocery bags.

"Morning!" She chirped holding the door open for the never-ending parade of brown paper bags.

"What…What is this?" Luke threw his hands back in bewilderment.

"Phase two!" Sookie pointed the guys toward the kitchen.

"Phase two?" Luke was still perplexed.

"Into the back guys, march!" Sookie headed toward the kitchen taking charge right off the bat.

"Hold on those guys can't go back there." Luke attempted to stop them, but held back as Lorelai entered the diner.

Lost in thought, Lorelai was trying her hardest to figure out the best way to set up this breakfast, and to avoid Luke.

"Ah, were in luck. Lots of empty places. Go on and take your seats guys." She let the Poe Society into the diner and made into the center of the diner.

"Lorelai, what is this?" She was surprised he wasn't freaking out; she was also surprised how stressed and nervous she suddenly felt.

"We had a fire."

"Where?"

"Weston's bakery!" Sookie said randomly.

"You're kidding." Luke wondered why he hadn't heard about Weston's catching fire earlier. After all it was only about a block away.

"They'll have fresh blueberries." Sookie quickly went back into chef mode and kept trying to get the kitchen set up.

"Weston's caught fire?" Luke really wanted to be filled in on what was happening now. He was going out of his baseball cap with worry.

"No the inn." Lorelai explained moving toward the counter.

"You're inn?"

After that Luke became really lost as they kept moving his things, and setting up stations.

He just kept his focus on Lorelai and hoped that things were going to be okay. He noted that she didn't look so good.

"I'm an island."

"Luke, I'm sorry about all this but I'm not anticipating the inn catching fire ever again so it's a one time only thing okay?"

"Like I have a choice?"

"You do, say the word and we go."

"Stay, cook, eat…I'll be upstairs." He declared and headed toward the curtain.

"You're a doll."

He heard her say it and when he did, he could help but smile. Things didn't seem to be too uncomfortable between them but he did notice that something had changed. She seemed quieter to him. But maybe it was just his imagination.

Lorelai had made her rounds, checking on the kids and Rory, seeing how Michel, Babette, and Patty were doing. By the time she had made it back to the diner everyone was just beginning to eat his or her breakfast.

Sookie came out of the kitchen as her friend walked through the diner door.

"They are just loving this breakfast! I think everything is going as well as it could be, don't you?"

"Yeah…It is…"

Sookie noticed that she wasn't quite herself.

"Are you okay? You want some breakfast?"

"Nah, I'm not very hungry. I'm just going to pop upstairs for a second. Maybe get a moment of peace before I have to pull a Sally Field in 'Sybil'."

"Okay honey, just let me know if you need anything."

"Thanks Sook."

When she pushed aside the curtain and made her way up the stairs she felt something bubbling in the pit of her stomach. She didn't know why she felt this way. She and Luke had been friends for years and the thought of him had never made her this nauseous before.

Looking at the door in front of her with, 'William's Hardware: Office' etched in the glass, she took a moment before she somehow found the courage to knock. A mere second later the door opened to reveal a stunned and a, dare she say, equally nervous Luke.

"Lorelai."

"Hi." She looked down at the ground.

"Hi." He found he couldn't move.

"Um…" Her eyes met his for a brief moment before she looked down at the ground once more.

He became aware of his incredible rudeness and gave her an invitation.

"Oh, did you want to come in?"

Luke pulled the door open wide and stepped to the side as she made her way into the room. She looked around much like she did last night, before she turned around and faced him. Her hands were clasped in front of her, and Luke thought for a moment that she looked like an innocent and insecure girl, two adjectives and one noun, with which he never used to describe the person in front of him.

He wanted to kiss her again. To bring back the outgoing, vivacious, fiery woman he knew so well. Also, he felt the overwhelming urge to rekindle the flame that blazed and smoldered last night in the same room in which now they stood. But he knew with the current conditions and in such a situation that it was a completely inappropriate action and direction to take.

What he found particularly odd was that she didn't even look at him. She just stared at the floor and shuffled her feet.

She was debating whether she should take the step forward. That one-step that was nearly impossible but completely necessary to fulfill her current desire. Desire. She desired Luke?

Luke took a moment and turned around and closed the door. He figured if she wasn't going to say anything he might as well find something to calm down his nerves, and give him a slight distraction.

When the he let go of the doorknob and he heard it click in place, he let his hand fall off of the brass handle before he turned around.

He hadn't even made a full 180-degree transition when he felt moist lips, and a warm body against his own.

He didn't even register what was happening until he felt cool hands gliding up underneath his shirt to find the muscles and hair of his stomach and chest.

And when the realization set in, he caved. Folded like a cheap pup tent.

He really couldn't say no to Lorelai Gilmore.

Her tongue made its way into his mouth as she propelled him backwards until he was against the door. She took advantage of the situation and pulled her knee up to his hip and pressed herself into him. They both moaned at the contact and Luke let his hand slip down to grasp her knee and keep her in place. Then his hand began to slide up her thigh while his other hand went to grasp the other one. With both hands near her buttocks he applied the slightest pressure causing her to jump up and hitch her knees at his waist. He quickly reversed their situation and pushed her against the glass, grinding his hips against hers. He kissed his way down to where her shoulder and her neck met, and was pleased that the long sleeved shirt she was wearing allowed him to take such an action. She made a noise some where between a moan and a yelp.

"Luke…"

Hearing his name only caused him to moan into her neck and suck harder.

He felt the need to brand her as his own.

"Luke…I…"

That's when the blood rushed back into his head. He realized that now was not the time to be doing this. She was upset. Confused. With the inn, with their relationship. Sex now would ruin everything. Even though he wanted her more than he had ever wanted anything in his entire life. Even more than a Lou Gehrig rookie card.

He let go of her legs and stepped away from her when her feet had finally touched the floor.

"Luke…"

He walked into the kitchen, opened the fridge, and pulled out a bottle of water.

"Don't…It's fine." He wanted to help her forget it. It was just another rare moment of weakness from the indestructible Lorelai Gilmore.

"I just…" She wanted to fix what was beginning to break between them.

"We don't have to talk about it…" Frankly, he couldn't talk about it. Not when he was feeling aroused, and confused, and jittery. It was all too much to handle right now. For the both of them.

"Yes, we do." She knew what it was like to just gloss over things. To let them fester and then explode once they reached the surface.

"No, not now. Just go back downstairs. You still have a lot of stuff to figure out." Alone, he just wanted to be alone. It was the only solution.

"Luke…I just…I knew you would make me feel better…Make this all go away. If only for a little while. I just, I'm sorry."

He could tell she genuinely was.

"Hey, forget it. No matter what happens, Lorelai. You and I will always be friends."

She watched him take a sip of his water and sit down at the kitchen table. She could tell he was mad at her. He was slouching in his chair and he couldn't even look her in the eye.

"I'll see you later?" She needed to find some hope that there would be reconciliation. That they could hash it out and find a common ground.

"Yeah…later."

As she made her way downstairs she found herself more distressed then she was before. Her moment of peace only stirred chaos. Not only was she still figuring out what to do about the fire. She was now hurting her best friend.

She just hoped she could sort it all out.

**A/N: All right! This chapter was a little on the dramatic side…I still think it's okay at a T rating. If any of you were offended at all or thought it was too steamy. Let me know. I'll change it right away. I promise there will be more comedy in the next chapter. I'm just trying to establish a flow with the dialogue and I'm still not sure quite where I'm going to lead the characters. Please bear with me. Patience after all is a virtue. And you're all Angels right…Oh, wait I forget that we're the junkies…Oh, well. Deal!**

**If you'd like you can post a review. It does encourage me. I especially love suggestions. After all you're the readers and kids I just aim to please.**

**I'll leave you with another random quote! An invisible ten-dollar bill to whoever can name the TV show I got this quote from!**

**We're circling each other like Venezuelan flamingoes engaged in a complex mating dance.**

**I thought this one fit nicely with the L/L relationship.**

**Rusty**


	3. Love Bites? Like Reality Bites?

**The $10 goes to "Mrs. Scott Patterson" and"the unnamed"who guessed last chapter's quote correctly. It was from the NBC dramedy "Ed". The show ran for four wonderful seasons and can currently be found in reruns on TBS at 11CT. It may never be released on DVD because last time I checked the major corporations producing the show were prohibiting NBC to do so. Sucks huh?**

**Welcome back to my story. Sorry it took so long to update. Hope it was all worth the wait:)**

**The beginning of this chapter is for "SciikRo" who had a great suggestion and I just had to use it!**

"Hey Lorelai? We're all done here." Sookie said packing up a few things she had scattered around the diner.

When Lorelai didn't answer her Sookie quickly stopped and placed a hand on her arm.

"Hey, you okay?" Sookie asked tilting her head down to meet Lorelai's gaze.

Lorelai quickly snapped out of her stupor and looked up at her.

"Yeah…I'm just fine."

Just then Sookie noticed something she hadn't seen before.

"Is that…a hickie?" She pointed to the red spot between Lorelai's shoulder and neck.

Lorelai quickly placed her hand over it and made her way into the kitchen.

"It is!" She heard Sookie following and quickly began cleaning up things in the kitchen as a diversion.

"No, it's…it's…Okay it's a hickie but can we not talk about it right now?"

"Oh, we are going to talk about it. You go upstairs to get a moment of 'peace' and you come down with a massive love bite. You can't expect me to ignore that!"

Lorelai dropped the spatula she had in her hand and turned around to face Sookie.

"Luke and I…"

Sookie was positively giddy with excitement and anxious for more, she burst open unable to handle the anticipation.

"You and Luke! I knew it! Eventually it was going to happen. I'm just so happy! What about Alex? Does he know? Did you dump him? Are you still going to see him while you date Luke? Please say no because Luke does not deserve that…"

Lorelai grabbed Sookie's shoulders in attempt to prevent her from going any further.

"Listen. I'm not sure what's going on between Luke and I right now. It's just…We've kissed, made out…twice…but things are so hectic with the inn, and he's still technically with Nicole so…I don't know what's going on. But when I do, I promise I will fill you in on the entire situation. Got it?"

Sookie smiled broadly and nodded her head.

"Good. Now let's find these people some places to sleep!"

Lorelai began to leave the kitchen when she heard Sookie call her name.

"Lorelai?"

She turned to face her.

"Yeah?"

"This could be something really great…you know?"

Lorelai nodded.

"Yeah, I know."

Later that night when the Haddlestats showed up at her door, she mentally kicked herself for being such a great talker.

She had to figure out some place to stay. Everyone in town that was willing to put up guests had absolutely no room left and a night on the streets seemed to be the one and only option. That was until she talked to Rory and explained the situation. Rory came up with the genius idea to spend the night at Luke's place. But the idea was far from genius. It was suicide.

But when she thought about it rationally, it was either Luke's or the street. She never understood the hobo fashion, so Luke's was the only solution.

"Throw your keys down!" Lorelai pleaded yelling up to him.

"I most certainly will not!" The white and wild haired women replied.

"No, not you Mrs. Celletzki, Luke."

"I'm coming down." Finally Luke disappeared and left her waiting in the streets.

"My inn caught fire…"

Mrs. Celletzki just stared, she now understood why Rory was so afraid of her when she was younger.

"Hurry Luke."

When he opened the door he found himself completely apprehensive. Forget when he opened the door more like when he saw her outside. And now, she was spending the night at his place? This night couldn't get any crazier.

As he opened the door to let her in, they both took a moment to check out each other's attire. Clad in sweats and casual shirts they were still extremely attracted to one another. Funny…that physical attraction, manifesting itself in ways no one could ever understand.

"Thank you so much, Luke. I'm not the kind of person who can sleep on the streets. Hell, the Hilton's don't even have good enough accommodations for me. If it doesn't have a Jacuzzi I'm out!" She wiped her palms on her pants trying to figure out when they got that sweaty.

"Let's go up."

She nodded and they made there way to the apartment.

"So, what happened that you don't have a place to sleep?"

He opened the door and they both stepped into the well lit apartment.

"The Haddlestats showed up. They said they were going home but they thought that a sleepover sounded fun. Crazy psycho people."

"Don't you have a couch?"

She shook her head. He obviously didn't want her to be there.

"Frank Jr. took it."

"Ah…"

They both just stood in the room for a moment. Arms crossed, feet shuffling, eyes wandering.

"So, you can have the bed…"

"No, Luke…I don't need to have it."

"But you should."

"I'll be just fine on the couch."

"Forget it you're taking the bed."

"All right if you insist."

She ran over to the bed and began jumping on it.

"Hey! Hey! Don't do that you'll break it!"

"No, I wont…My parents use to tell me that all of the time. Not once was a bed broken." Her hair was flowing all around her and Luke had to fight to suppress his adoring smile.

"C'mon Lorelai…Get down." He waved his arms toward the ground but she just continued to jump. She truly was a defiant child at heart.

"Join me Luke! We can have a pillow fight! Wow! I feel like I'm in a Babysitter's Club book or something."

She pulled her legs out so that she fell onto the mattress on her butt.

"I have to remember that two minutes of exercise could be fatal." She placed her hand over her heart as she tried to catch her breath. Luke just shook his head and went to the kitchen to begin making tea.

"Do you want some tea? It'll relax you."

"Normally I would totally say no, but after today, tea sounds perfect." She made her way into the kitchen and sat down at the table.

As Luke made the tea, Lorelai contemplated their situation. She hadn't really thought the entire thing through, and truthfully, she really didn't want to. Thinking about what was going on between them meant she had to admit to herself that she was undeniably attracted to him. But she could help but to ponder that attraction.

She watched him as he poured the water into the deep blue mugs, his large hand grasping the handle, his muscles flexing in his forearm as he did so. He was definitely sexy. The half smile, the strong jaw, the body alone could make any girl melt into a puddle on a winter's day. How she didn't notice this before was beyond her.

But now that she did, she had a hard time thinking about anything else.

"Lorelai?"

_Crap._ He had caught her staring. _Stupid hormones!_

"Sorry, just thinking." He handed her the mug and she accepted it graciously.

He looked at her neck then quickly moved his gaze to the floor. She had noticed and placed a hand over the red welt.

"Sorry about that." He said before taking a sip of his tea.

"No big deal." She replied sipping hers as well.

"No, really…I bet someone noticed…"

She shrugged her shoulders.

"Only Sookie. I went home and put on a turtle neck as soon as I left the diner."

He chuckled.

"It's not funny." She replied shifting in her chair.

"Oh, c'mon. It is a little bit."

She shook her head.

As he leaned against the kitchen counter shifting the mug between his hands, smiling into the lip, he took a soft sip of his tea.

"Luke…This thing…what is it?" Lorelai gestured between them.

"I don't know Lorelai…Shouldn't I be the one asking that question?"

"What do you mean?"

"Never mind."

"Don't never mind me Butch Danes, tell me what you're thinking!"

She heard him sigh before he stood up straight and looked her directly in the eye.

"I'm thinking that if I stay in the same room with you for one more minute I might do something….that could lead to….something….that we'll both regret."

"What? What would we regret Luke? What would happen?"

He stared at her; his gaze unwavering.

"I would touch you. And that would lead to more touching which would lead us to somewhere that we're both not ready to go."

She walked toward him and took the mug out of his hands.

"I'm ready."

He protested.

"No you're not…You just want a way to make everything feel better. You just want to feel good for just a moment. Lorelai…This friendship is suppose to last forever, we can't just change everything now."

"I don't care."

"You will later."

"No I wont."

With that she walked up to him and began to unbuckle his belt. She had successfully done so and was beginning to tug on his zipper when she felt his hands trying to push her away. She looked up into his face and saw the same fear and uncertainty she had felt last night and for a brief moment earlier that day. She leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips before pulling slightly away. He had his eyes closed when she looked at him and she knew that he was starting to give in.

"Luke, I need you. Not just for tonight. Forever."

He opened his eyes. She noticed how shocked he had been at her revelation and it only caused her to smile.

"You…you need me?" Luke gulped down a breath as he felt her fingertips on the edge of his boxers.

She nodded.

"Uh huh. I need you and I want you."

He closed his eyes and gasped as her hand reached inside the fabric to touch skin.

"And from what I can tell you feel the same way." Lorelai grinned mischievously.

"I can't even begin to tell you how much." His voice was husky and broke through the words like he was stepping on pieces of glass.

"Then show me."

So he did.

TBC….

**A/N: I apologize for my lack of updating. I'm about to start college in the next few weeks and I work quite a bit therefore I haven't had much time for writing. I promise that I wont wait a week this time. As a matter of fact I have tomorrow off so hopefully I'll be able to write and post it then!**

**Let me know how you felt about this chapter. I didn't quite know where to go with them from the last chapter. I hate long fights. I'm bad at writing arguments. I just wanted to make them more confused than angry at their situation.**

**Another quote! See if you can guess where this one is from:**

**The only consequence of all this will be, that whenever I open a nice Bordeaux, there will be the distant, distasteful memory of a nutcase who tried to kill me because I allowed her to kiss me on the cheek under false pretenses. I can live with it.**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Rusty**


	4. The Perfect Fit

**Hello my beautiful readers! Ready for another chapter?**

**Well, first I have to give you some props dawg...As Randy Jackson takes over my body...Sorry...**

**Susan22: Here is your M chapter! Dirty!**

**VeroSNM: I tried to have a little bit of pillow talk! Thanks for the luck...I may need it. Math class and acting class...two complete opposites! Jeeze...**

**Willow: Way to go! It was Northern Exposure. Dr. Joel Fleishman...Another great and quirky show!**

**leopiper4ever-SV-GG: You were right on the money! HeHe! In bed...of all the embarassing situations!**

**Nycgirl: I hope this answered all of your questions...Jess, Nichole...Let's just say this is only the beginning of trouble in paradise. And thanks for the vote of confidence. Your review inspired me to work even harder in this chapter!**

**freecityy: Sorry I couldn't save you from your meltdown...you're still okay right? I would feel so guilty. Turns out I had to work the morning shift...so, my update was a little bit later than I had hoped. Sorry...hope you like the sexual tension in this chapter...and the release...dirty!**

**Phoebe4u: Sorry...Jess is going to show up...I hope you wont be disappointed!**

**TO EVERYONE ELSE: I LOVE YA, I LOVE YA, I LOVE YA! You're an aspiring writer's dream come true. Hopefully after I graduate and have my own show, you'll all be watching it! I will always be on fan as long as it's around. So, even if I have a show I'll still be writing here! Because this is where it all began.**

**IF any of you were "Ed" fans. I did write fan fiction on under the name Poodle39. I was in tenth grade then and I wasn't very good so...If you do happen to read it...It's not what you might expect:)**

* * *

**WARNING! READ THIS BEFORE GOING ON!**

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**Chapter six rated M for sexual content. If your over 16 you should be fine unless your sensitive to the subject os sex. You've been warned.**

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**And now, what you've all been waiting for...Bow chicka bownow! The dirty chapter!**

He began to worship her body. Took his time to touch and to taste, to remember every curve and crevice and to hit the places that pleasured her most.

As they were lying in bed, clad in only their underwear, they continued to tease one another, kissing for what seemed like forever. Legs tangled, hands gliding over smooth skin and tussled hair.

Luke broke away from her mouth and kissed down her throat until he reached her clavicles, where he bit her and soothed the wound with his moist hot tongue. He was rewarded immediately with a moan and a stroke of her hand on his head.

He looked up at her and smiled mischievously.

He kissed her chest plate then licked a trail down between her breasts, nuzzling the soft flesh; she began to buck up at him in anticipation and need. He pressed his hand down on her pelvis to still her and quickly stroked her stomach to keep her on the edge.

"Luke…I need you…" He felt her legs widen and then clasp around his hips allowing him to feel her readiness. He groaned at the friction she caused as she ground into him. The electricity was flowing between them and they were getting so hot they thought they might explode.

He swiftly lifted her up to free her bra and when he did he was rewarded with a sight more beautiful than a million sunsets.

He suckled her, savored her, and wrote a sonnet in her likeness upon her skin.

She could only hold him closer and feel.

He moved his hands to her panties and slide a finger along the thin strap on her hip and with the other hand he stroked her inner thigh. Now she was making noises he had never heard her make before and it only caused him to grow harder. He hooked each side of her panties with his index finger as he kissed her stomach; he was about to slide them down when he heard the door open.

As fast as humanly possible, Luke covered Lorelai's body with his own and pulled the blanket over the two.

"OH MY GOD!"

Yep, Jess was defiantly home.

"Jess, listen…um…."

Luke tried to sooth the situation but was having no luck.

"Jeeze, that's my girlfriend's mom. Naked…Sick!"

Jess had his hands over his eyes as he talked to Luke.

"Jess…I didn't, we didn't…Why are you home already?"

"Sure, when I say I'm going out you get mad and tell me I have to stay but now when your fooling around with a girl you tell me to get the hell out!"

Luke carefully got out of bed and pulled on his jeans. Noticing his still visible arousal he sat on the bed and grabbed a pillow for his lap.

"Jess, this just happened suddenly." Explained a muffled Lorelai who was completely underneath the blanket.

"I'm going to leave for a couple hours. When I get back, please be dressed."

With that Jess left the apartment and the two thoroughly embarrassed adults.

The room was silent for a few minutes as they caught their breaths and tried to rationalize the situation.

"So…that was…unexpected." Said Lorelai popping her head out from underneath the covers.

"You can say that again." Luke pulled a hand through his hair and sighed.

Suddenly there was a shift in the bed and Luke felt Lorelai wrap her arms around his shoulders. He felt her breasts against his back and he felt the same flood of emotions that were before Jess returns once more.

There were a few random, stray kisses on his neck then teeth clasping onto his ear.

"We have a couple of hours…" She rubbed his chest and let her fingers circle and pinch his nipple. He groaned.

"Lorelai, maybe we should cool off. I mean…Maybe Jess interrupted us for a reason. Maybe we're not ready for this. I'm not ready for this."

She shifted to his side and glanced down at his hard on.

"You seem ready to me." She grinned seductively before biting and kissing his bare shoulder.

"Lorelai…"

"Resistance is futile." She crawled off the bed to stand in front of him where she pulled her panties down to her ankles before kicking them off.

She straddled his lap.

"You can't tell me that you don't want this." She looked at him seriously with deep sapphire eyes and he knew he was gone.

"I didn't say that I didn't want it…" She ground herself into him and cried out his name pleading for him to take her.

So…being the man he is, he did.

He threw her onto the bed and she gasped in surprise as she hit the pillows. Luke watched her as he stood up and removed his boxers, revealing himself to her entirely in all of his male glory.

She licked her lips in anticipation.

He crawled up her body until he was positioned at her opening.

He felt her shudder beneath him and watched as she closed her eyes and audibly panted and silently pleaded.

He nudged her, teasing her just as she had done with him everyday since he'd known her. Walking in the diner in short skirts low cut tops, and flirting relentlessly.

Her nails dug into his shoulders urging him to move.

He finally did.

Filled her full and over flowing.

She yelped half an undistinguishable sound, half his name.

He stayed still until she opened her eyes to meet his again.

When she did he pulled out of her completely hearing her whimper at the loss.

He wanted to hear her make more noises so he thrust into her again, hard, completely, she groaned and bit into his shoulder.

He groaned back.

He adjusted his hips so that he could reach into her at another angle.

When he entered again, the new feeling caused her to scream not a word, just a pleasurable cry from the depths of her gut and vocal chords.

This urged him to move faster. He was pumping now. She was biting down on his shoulder trying to ground her self as she flew high in the emotion of it all.

Luke continued to thrust harder and harder until finally they both came with quaking bodies and breathy names.

Luke collapsed on her, applying light kisses just below her ear as he fought to catch his breath.

His shoulder had a visible red welt when Lorelai pulled away, so she kissed it softly and stroked it with her fingertips.

He watched her as she did this and he smiled sated, relaxed, and happy.

But he was quickly snapped out of his daze when he heard the phone ring.

Getting up to get it he felt Lorelai's hand on his arm.

"Don't…stay…"

"It might be Jess and I don't have an answering machine." He stood up and pulled on his boxer shorts.

"How can you not have an answering machine?" She asked incredulously sitting up against the headboard.

"Because I don't need one now will you let me get the phone please?"

"Fine." She crossed her arms and pouted but there was a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

Luke watched her and shook his head before reaching for the phone.

"Hello?"

Lorelai watched Luke as he became very nervous and very frightened.

"Hi, Nichole."

Her eyes widened at this. She had just slept with a man who has a girlfriend. Luke was not the cheating type and she knew immediately that he was going to regret such a hasty decision…that would be his words…not hers.

"Um…yeah, so you thing today was good? Good. Oh nothing there was a fire at the local inn…yeah the one she works at. Everyone's fine…Yeah, okay…I'll talk to you later. Yeah…bye."

He hung up the phone and dropped his chin to his chest.

"Luke…"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Luke, please…"

"No…Let's just…go to bed okay? We'll deal with it later. I'm tired. I'm sure your tired. Jess will be home in less than an hour…let's just…sleep." He found his shirt on the floor and pulled it over his head before he lay down on the couch.

Lorelai got up and put on her underwear, followed by her shirt and pants, before sneaking back into bed.

Staring at the ceiling she let out a large sigh before looking over at Luke's shadowed form.

"I had a dream once, back when we were fighting about the accident. I woke up one morning to like, a hundred alarm clocks. And after these really annoying and unnecessary alarm clocks woke me up I walk downstairs to find you in my kitchen cooking breakfast. We were talking about the alarm clocks and you gave me food and there was something about picking stuff up at the store and before you left for the diner you talked to my stomach. Because apparently I was pregnant, twins actually. And do you know what you did before you left?" There was a pause as she waited for him to respond. When he didn't she just continued with her story. "Fine, it was kind of rhetorical anyway. Well, what you did was…you kissed me. And I know it was a dream, and it was quite a while ago but…it just seemed so right…you know? Like when you find the perfect pair of jeans and they always look great on you. Even if you feel fat that day or if your just going out the store. Those jeans are always so perfect. And every time you put them on, the world just seems to go right. You think that you invincible, that you'll never loose that feeling of rightness. What we did…even though in your current situation…it was right Luke. So, don't feel like you did a bad thing. Because when we're together…it all just fits perfectly."

She closed her eyes as she felt a tear spill down her cheek.

"Goodnight Luke."

Luke turned on his side trying to make her out in the darkness. He saw that she way lying on her side away from him now. He took a deep breath.

" I do know what you mean."

He heard her turn around and somewhere in the shadows he saw her smiling.

"Goodnight Lorelai."

TO BE CONTINUED….

**A/N: So, watta think, sugah's? Let me know.**

**Here's another quote. I wont make you guess this time. This one goes with the chapter!**

**_Luke is trying to subtly flirt with Lorelai at his diner_  
****Luke****: Those jeans are really working for you.  
****Lorelai****: Yeah?  
****Luke****: They're working for me, too.  
****Lorelai****: You're flirting with me.  
****Luke****: Something like that.  
****Lorelai****: Finally. Do it some more.  
****Luke****: Your shoes work well with that... shirt.  
****Lorelai****: Gee, Carson, thanks.**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Rusty**


	5. Gettin'r Done

**Sorry for the month long hiatus. My life has been a little nuts. I started school in the beginning of this month and I go everyday and then work on the weekends. I just haven't had much time to write. But here, finally is a new chapter and I hope you all enjoy it.**

**If you haven't read "Thank the Caveman" you should. It's another "A Tale of Poes and Fire" fic and it's awesome. So, check it out.**

**Oywidapoodles- **I'm glad I can give you a guilty pleasure. We're all allowed some of those.

**ProFeSsoR- **Sorry to cause you any embarrassment. But your story cracked me up! So great. I'm going to suggest from now on that at one point in everyone's life that you should read a dirty fan fiction while in public surrounded by strangers. HILARIOUS! I'm glad you liked it despite the looks and embarrassment it may have caused.

**Nycgirl-**I'm really glad you like the way I write Luke. If you couldn't tell he is my favorite character to write. From any point of view. And about Jess…wow! At first I didn't know what to do with him. But I figured he's the kind of person who would walk into a situation he wouldn't want to walk into. So, I just ran with it. I'm happy that you thought it worked. Thanks for being a loyal reader and reviewer. And just to let you know. There will be some Nicole. She will not be one dimensional at all!

**VeroSNM-YAY! **A fellow Edhead. I was an Ed fanatic. I have a Stuckeybowl shirt that I still proudly wear to this day. And it's good to know that I'll have someone watching my show someday! Until then I'll just continue to write dirty chapters for those of us who secretly harbor the desire to wear that man's backwards baseball cap. Thanks!

**Jeepgirl259- **Girly, I am so glad you liked that line. I came up with it on a whim but it has become instantly one of my favorites as well. Something that I could never cut from this story no matter how many edits! I hope you like how I deal with the aftermath. Thank for all of your wonderful reviews.

**And for the rest of you. Thanks for all of your wonderful reviews. You keep me writing. I also apologize once more for leaving you hanging for so long. Life can get in the way sometimes. I wish I could just do this forever! And someday I will. But until then…I have a lot of Algebra to learn. HAHAHA!**

**This chapter is dedicated to Muffin is Injured who gave me the kick I needed to update this story.**

**Chapter 5: Gettin'r done.**

Sometime in the morning she heard someone stirring.

She opened her eyes to find Luke in front of the closet getting ready. His bare back and his denim clad bottom were facing her and she had to admit she enjoyed the view immensely.

"It's too early," she mumbled propping herself up on her elbows, her hair falling between her shoulders.

He seemed startled but quickly recovered.

"Well, then go back to bed." He replied shrugging his flannel over his arms and shoulders after pulling a gray T-Shirt over his head. 

She smiled as his hair was tussled and his face turned red.

"What time is it?" She inquired running a hand through her hair and yawning. She sat fully erect with the sheet tucked underneath her armpits.

"Five-Fifteen. Go back to sleep." He moved toward her and sat on the edge of the bed.

There were a few moments of silence between them.

"We shouldn't have done…wh…what we did…" He clasped his hands in front of him and gave her a sideway glance.

She placed a warm hand on his back.

"It doesn't make us wrong, this wrong." She stated waving her free hand between them.

He shook his head in response.

"NO, it doesn't but it does make the _situation_ wrong. This isn't how it was suppose to happen. This isn't how I imagined it…"

"Luke? Nothing in my life has ever happened the way it was supposed to happen but eventually it all turns out alright."

He nodded and regarded her seriously.

"Lorelai, I just…"

She sat forward a little and took his hand in hers.

"I wouldn't take it back…do you want to…"

"NO! God No! I just…I feel bad." His head fell down as he gazed at their intertwined hands. He soon after felt fingers massaging his scalp. He sighed.

"Luke…I…I really care about you. You're my best friend. I want this. I want this with you. Damn all the consequences."

His head shot up, his eyes opened wide. As he watched her expression, his face softened a bit.

"You…We're really doing this?"

She nodded and leaned in to kiss him softly on the lips. She pulled away slightly. He felt her expel a breath on his face as she whispered two words.

"Hell yeah."

Luke left Lorelai upstairs to get ready as he began to open the diner. He went through his regular routine: pulling chairs off the tables, starting the coffee, firing up the grill. While doing all this he realized that he hadn't seen Jess since last night. He automatically went into panic mode running upstairs and into the apartment to find Lorelai sitting on his bed wrapped in a towel and drying her hair with another.

"Where's Jess?" Luke's face was pale and Lorelai thought he was going to pass out.

"I don't know. He didn't come home?" She stood up and grabbed his arm leading him to a kitchen chair where she forced him into the seat.

"No. At least I didn't hear him. Or see him for that matter." Luke was having a hard time breathing now. His breath was rigid and he seemed to be heaving.

Lorelai immediately went into a cupboard to pull out a brown paper bag which she quickly thrust into his hand and over his face.

She would have laughed at the sound of the bag crinkling as it expanded and deflated. Would have, that is if she weren't as equally worried about Jess' whereabouts.

It was in that brief moment when worry hit her, that she and Luke heard the diner door open. The bell jingled and footsteps were heard on the stairs.

Luke stood up and made his way out the door quickly. When he reached the stairs he finally saw Jess.

"WHERE THE HELL DID YOU GO?" He screamed dropping the paper bag and grabbing Jess by the shirt.

"Hey! Settle down. Let go of me."

"WHERE WERE YOU? I WAS WORRIED SICK!" Luke pushed him up against the wall.

"I stayed at the Gilmore's house! Okay? Let me go!" Jess pushed Luke's hand away and smoothed down his shirt.

"What do you mean you stayed at the Gilmore's?" Luke was beginning to settle down and catch his breath.

"Well, when I walked in on you two…you know? I decided I had to find someplace to sleep. So, I went and talked to Rory at Lane's. I told her that Lorelai was staying at your place and that…I wasn't exactly welcome…So, I asked her where I could crash. She said that I could sleep on the floor at her house. So, that's what I did. And let me tell you…You owe me. Fred Jr.? The most annoying kid ever. Kept talking all night. I barely slept and my back is killing me from the hardwood floor so…I hope your tryst was all worth it."

Luke was smiling now and he patted Jess on the shoulder.

"Maybe I did teach you something Jess."

"Yeah and what's that?" He mouthed straightening his shoulders.

"To respect people's privacy. Something I learned from this town a long time ago."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. I'm going to go to bed now. I'm tired." He walked into the apartment to find Lorelai sitting at the kitchen table, dressed in Luke's flannel and sweatpants.

"Hey." He nodded at her.

"Hey." She mimicked him and took a sip of her orange juice.

"I'm going to bed."

"Okay…"

Jess walked into his room and jumped onto his mattress, pulling the blankets around him.

"Jess?" Lorelai was now leaning against the frame watching him.

"Yeah." She heard him mumble through the pillows.

"Thanks."

He heard her walk out of the apartment and down the stairs.

"Your welcome." He mumbled into the empty apartment before he fell sound asleep.

Luke was filling a napkin dispenser at the counter when he felt two arms wrap around his midsection and warm lips against his neck.

"That nephew of yours isn't so bad after all." Lorelai said nibbling just below his ear.

"No…I guess he's not." He replied losing himself in her actions.

Lorelai was rubbing his stomach while kissing, licking, and, softly biting his neck. He was thoroughly enjoying himself until her hands began to wonder southward. That's when he snapped out of it.

"Hey!" He turned around and faced her, grabbing her hands in his.

"What's wrong?" She asked innocently her lip protruding her eyebrows raised.

"We can't do that right now…That's what's wrong." He felt her lace their fingers together as her lower body pressed into his.

"Why can't we? Just really quick?" She swiveled her hips. He groaned.

"You know as well as I do why we can't. You have to go home and change. Get everybody here. Get everything figured out so that all those people can go home and so that your inn can get up and running again." He kissed her cheek and leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"Besides if we wait…it'll be more than worth it." He pulled away and smiled at her before turning to go into the kitchen.

"Fine. You win this time Luke Danes. But you will not be so lucky next time."

Minutes later, when Luke exited the kitchen again, Lorelai was running down the stairs wearing her clothes from the previous night, her pillow clutched to her chest.

"I'm going home to change and call Sookie. I'll be back in about a half hour."

Luke nodded and walked to her. When he was standing in front of her Lorelai reached up to give him a chaste kiss goodbye.

"I'll see you soon." She said watching him as she walked out the door and down the street.

Luke sighed when she finally disappeared from his sight and found himself frowning as he remembered that he still had Nicole to deal with. His day had just gotten much longer.

When Lorelai reached her house she found the entire Poe society crashers were already awake and sitting in the kitchen. She set her pillow on the couch and walked in.

"Hey. You guys are all up." She said. Noticing that they had made coffee, she quickly grabbed a mug from the cabinet and filled it to the brim.

"Well, you know what they say. The early bird catches the worm. And gee golly do we like to catch those worms." Fred stated causing the rest of the kitchen's occupants to laugh heartily except for Lorelai who just smiled into the rim of her coffee and took a sip.

"Well, breakfast will be ready in about forty-five minutes. Luke's starting it and Sookie's on her way to give it her own magic touch." She explained setting the mug on the counter behind her. "If you don't mind. I'm going to go change and then we can all head on over to Luke's?"

"That's fine. We're already when you are." Mr. Hatelstad replied.

Lorelai nodded and bounded up the stairs to her bedroom.

They all headed to Luke's, and Lorelai thought for a second that they must look like mental patients on a field trip. Fred Jr. was skipping. Fred and his wife were laughing and pointing at the lawn gnomes saying which ones they wanted for their yard and the Hatelstads were too close for comfort. They really needed to get a room. Then she remembered they had a room. Last night. She quickly made a mental note to boil her sheets or throw them away when she got home.

As they walked into Luke's, Lorelai immediately looked for him over the crowd of people packed in the tiny diner. Her search came up fruitless however. That was until she walked into the storage room and found him bent over a box, looking for something.

She couldn't resist the opportunity.

The entire diner was in the middle of eating and conversation when they heard a man's scream come from the other room. They all looked in the direction of the noise and when they heard nothing else, they shrugged their shoulders and resumed conversation.

"What the hell was that for?" Luke asked rubbing his sore rump.

"Just because it was there. You can't let a good bent over butt go to waste Luke." She explained sauntering up to him.

"Well, I hope it was worth it. I won't be able to sit for a week." He joked still rubbing his bum.

"That was the plan…" Lorelai snaked her arms around his waist and began rubbing his butt for him. He moaned from the sensation.

"That better?" She whispered huskily.

"Hmmm." He replied tucking his head into the crook of her neck and kissing it.

"Good…See it _was_ worth it." She played pushing her cheek against his head.

"Definitely." He agreed nuzzling her more.

"LORELAI?" Sookie's voice snapped them out of their trance and they broke apart.

"We should get back out there." Luke declared grabbing a spatula out of the box and walking out the door. He was limping a little from the slap and Lorelai couldn't help but chuckle.

"Stop it." He grunted walking into the kitchen.

Almost everything else had gone as planned. Breakfast was perfect and the Poe society was pleased with their welcome and had left Stars Hollow regretting their goodbye.

The Almost came when Lorelai walked into the inn with Michel and Sookie and found that her home, the first home she had ever truly known. Was now destroyed.

TBC…

**A/N: Sorry to leave it there everybody but I have to write a critique for my acting class. I wish I could write more. I'm bummed. **

**I promise that the next chapter won't take as long to update. My brother is getting married this weekend and we have a two hour car ride so hopefully I'll be able to write on my way down and back up. Or maybe even tomorrow I'll have the chance. We'll see. **

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It's kind of there to tie everything together. The next chapter will bring complications between Luke and Lorelai and A LOT more action than this chapter. **

**Please review as always. But you guys are so good at that I don't even really have to ask.**

**I'll give you a quote again. I love doing this!**

**Guy in the Washroom****: What the hell are you doing?   
****Fletcher****: I'm kicking my own ass! Do you mind?**

**Can you guess that one. It's one of the funniest movies ever!**

**Rusty**


	6. It's Chinatown, Jake

**AN UPDATE! Oh my god!**

**Yeah, it's been awhile. I lied to all of you and said it would be sooner rather than later…It's much, much, later. SORRY, SORRY, SORRY! I have been busy…I've had tonsillitis all week…yuck. I just finished school a couple of weeks ago. I start again in two weeks. I've been working, and I've been trying to have a social life…not easy I'm telling you!**

**But anyway, enough about me, here is a new chapter for all of you Javajunkies. I hope it answers some of you questions from before. There will be at least one more after this. And then, I may be starting a new story. It might just be a one-shot. We'll see.**

**TO THE REVIEWERS:**

**Muffin-** I just read your review for my other story….Wow; thank you…I'm touched. I didn't get a lot of reviews but yours made up for that. I'll take all the "gah's" you gave me and then some. I hope you had fun in Europe! And the knotted innards…kinda creeped me out but it was a good metaphor…I got what you were trying to say! I'll be waiting for your stories…Always love them!

**Again thank you to everyone else who reviewed this story…Without your words of encouragement and constructive criticism this fic would be nada…**

**AND I DEDICATE THIS CHAPTER TO MRS. SCOTT PATTERSON WHO I FEEL SO SORRY FOR KEEPING ON EDGE THIS LONG! THIS ONE IS FOR YOU GIRLY!**

He stood on the front step of her apartment building staring at the list of tenant's names debating whether or not to ring her. As people walked in and out of the building and down the busy city street he continued to stare at the pearly white button and the name next to it.

**Lahey, N.**

Nicole. Sweet intelligent Nicole…How he was going to do this was beyond him. He had never cheated on a woman before, never. Except for that time when he kissed Julie Hellens when he was six after he had told Sarah McAdams he was in love with her on the same day. But that was different. He was an adult now, with adult responsibilities, and adult consequences. He just had to figure out what he was going to say to her.

Should he be completely honest? Or use ust a cliff notes version of honesty? An outline but not the entire story.

Eventually, after about half of an hour…Luke Danes pressed the little white button and found himself standing outside Nicole's apartment door, short of breath and extremely nervous. When she opened the door to let him in, he nearly passed out.

"So, Luke…This is a surprise. You never show up in the middle of the afternoon. What is going on?" Nicole asked taking a seat at the couch and motioning for him to sit next to her. He quietly refused and sat in a chair opposite of her.

"Nicole…" He began quietly, uncertainly…

Nicole's attitude shifted instantaneously.

"Would you like some Tea? I just went to the organic foods store. I bought a bunch of new flavors; I could make us some if you'd…." She quickly stood up and made her way toward the kitchen.

"No, Nicole…I really need to talk to you." He heard her sigh, her backside toward him, before she made her way to her previous position on the couch.

"Okay, listen…I know what you're here for. I'm not stupid or naïve, Luke. So, let's just forget about having the discussion and you can leave here with both of us unscathed. How does that sound? Because to me it sounds like a win/win situation."

He was astounded by her rationality, but he reasoned that it was Nicole, and she wasn't from Stars Hallow…He should have known she would be calm and cool about the entire situation.

"You don't want to hear why? You don't want explanations or reasons or…anything?" Luke raised his eyebrows as the corners of his mouth furrowed into his jaw.

"Nope. I like you, Luke. I really do. I don't want that to change. If that means not knowing why you don't want to be in a relationship with me anymore…I can deal." She reasoned tucking her hair behind her ears. Luke watched her astonished and unsure when finally Nicole stood up.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I was expecting some company. A few lawyers from the firm are coming over for dinner tonight and I'm not yet fully prepared."

Luke nodded and began heading for the door. He opened it and began walking out when he heard Nicole's voice beckon him back.

"Luke?"

He turned around and stepped into the room once more.

"Yeah?" He asked awaiting her response.

"I hope you're happy…"

Luke nodded. "Thank you."

He began to leave the apartment once more, and as he stepped out into the hallway he heard he voice again.

"Both of you."

With that, he walked out of the building and out of Nicole Lahey's life.

Lorelai was devastated but she wouldn't let Sookie or Michel truly see that. Her home was destroyed. Her inn, her life that she had begun, the place she had first called home, mere ashes. After hours of finding luggage and sending the Poe Society home as happy as possible she finally was on her way back to the house to tell Rory the bad news.

"Rory?" She yelled walking into the foyer and hanging up her sweater.

"In the kitchen!" Was her response.

Lorelai made her way there and found Rory reading a book and eating Cookie Crisp from the box.

"I love the wall." Rory said, referring to the Yale memorabilia that now covered her room.

"I thought you might." She answered taking a seat across from her at the table and putting her head down on her crossed arms. Rory's immediately peered at her dejected mother from above her book.

"It's bad, isn't it?" She inquired setting the book down and forward on her arms.

"It's bad…It's worse than bad…It's a Keanu Reeves doing Shakespeare kind of bad." She mumbled into her sleeves.

"It couldn't be that bad…Nothing is that bad." Rory reasoned rubbing her mother's back comfortingly. Lorelai lifted her head and regarded her daughter seriously.

"Honey, the place is charred. I don't know if it will ever be up and running again." She shook her head and sunk down on her arms once more.

"It's going to be alright, mom. It always turns out just fine. You know that." Rory cooed into her ear. She lifted her head once more and looked straight ahead.

"I still think someone mixed up the kids in the delivery room. You cannot be my daughter."

"I'm afraid I am. You're stuck with me. Besides, if we weren't related it would be really weird how we look so freakishly alike."

Lorelai nodded in agreement.

"Very true. And I'm sure if we weren't related we could make some really good money off of that fact."

Rory patted her mother's back and picked up her book once more.

"Perhaps. You just never know."

There was a brief moment of silence as Rory read and Lorelai thought.

"Mom?" Rory looked up from her book.

"Huh?"

"I'm sorry about the inn."

Lorelai smiled and stood up kissing the top of Rory's head.

"Thanks baby. Keep reading your book. I'm going to go get us some dinner."

"Luke's?"

"Yep, I'll be back in a little while."

"Ok. Don't forget the pie." Rory reminded as Lorelai began her exit from the room.

"Sweets, after today, pie is the first thing on my mind. I'll be right back. Don't get into any trouble while I'm gone."

"I'll try to refrain."

With that Lorelai made her way to Luke's.

"LUKE! I need burgers and pie, pronto!" Lorelai yelled as she walked through the diner door. Luke stood at the counter and shook his head as she did so.

"I could see you coming a block away. I already put in the order." He replied wiping down the counter before moving to fetch her a cup of coffee.

"You're a god. Zeus himself." She stated taking a seat at the counter in front of him. He handed her the coffee mug and watched as she took a long satisfying gulp. She set the cup down soon after and looked up at him. Luke immediately noticed the sadness in her eyes and instantly inquired.

"What happened?" He leaned forward on his elbows and gave her his full attention.

"The inn…It's a mess. Completely ruined. It may never be up and running again."

He moved his hand over hers on the counter and stroked her knuckles with his fingertips.

"I'm sorry."

"Thanks…It's just…It's my first home, Luke. Rory and I grew up there. That's where we started our life. It has all these memories. We use to dance in the lobby late at night when nobody was around. I use to sing Bangle songs. We'd make up new dance moves. And I'd tell Rory that one day we'd tour with them and become millionaires just as their choreographers. And she'd tell me that she didn't want to be a choreographer but rather she wanted to write reviews and comments on their album covers. Or write stories about touring with the band. Some nights we'd take left over sheets and build forts in our shack and we'd make up stories about far off places, and the men we'd someday meet. More often than not if I had the late, late shift, Rory would insist on going with me because she hated sleeping on her own. So, I'd take her on my rounds and find her asleep under tables, one time I found her asleep on the kitchen floor. She was so small and I just…I just…"

Tears found their way down her cheeks and Luke swiftly made his way to the other side of the counted to scoop her up into a hug.

"I can't let go of something that was so important to me. It's so…"

"Hey, hey…It's okay…I know all about that. Look at my diner. I've kept it exactly how my dad left it. I couldn't imagine ever losing it. But you have those memories. You'll never forget them. So, don't' cry." There was a brief pause as Lorelai continued to softly cry into Luke's chest.

"Hey, I put extra cheese on your burger. And I gave you four pieces of apple pie. I even threw some ice cream in there."

Lorelai chucked from his flannel shirt.

"Thank you." She looked up at him and wiped away the tears and smudged mascara from her eyes.

"Anytime." He let her go and grabbed her order from the back. When he returned she was standing with her purse ready to go. Handing her the food she gave him a side hug and began to make her way out the door.

"I talked to Nicole."

Lorelai stopped, the bell jingled above the door as she held onto the knob.

"It's over."

She turned around and looked at him seriously.

"And are you…"

"It went as well as possible. And I mean that. She actually ended it with me. I didn't even get to say anything to her."

Lorelai gave Luke a stunned gaze.

"She knew. Without me telling her. Before I left she told me that she just wanted us to be happy. Why did everyone else know?"

Lorelai smiled and shook her head.

"It's Chinatown, Jake."

Luke smiled.

"That made no sense."

Lorelai shrugged.

"Eh, neither did the movie. Come by the house later, when you're closed. We can talk."

Luke nodded and smiled.

"I'll be there with bells on."

"I'll be waiting."

And as Lorelai left, Luke decided that tonight, closing early wouldn't be such a crime.

**To Be Continued…**

**One Chapter left…I do believe. We'll see how it goes. I hope you all liked this one. Had a little resolve. A little drama. I wish it could've been a little more but hey, you can wish in one hand and crap in the other, see which on fills up first. Bada bum…Bet you can't guess where that quote is from…or maybe you can…I already used it in a fan fic…but I just had to say it again. It's from the same movie this quote is from.**

"**There's nothing to worry about. Kids swallow quarters all the time. If she craps out two dimes and a nickel, then you can't start worrying."**

**Oh, and the last quote was from "Liar, Liar"! You guys are so smart! You all get a cookie…and I make some dang good cookies!**

**Please Review! And thanks again for reading!**


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